What Are the Current Statistics On Domestic Abuse in Toronto?

Anyone can be mistreated, regardless of their history, identity, or circumstances. However, girls, women, and gender-diverse people are particularly vulnerable to domestic violence. Some suffer even greater dangers as a result of further prejudice and obstacles.

Domestic abuse police complaints in Toronto have decreased somewhat during the COVID-19 outbreak, as specialists warn that stay-at-home and lockdown situations will result in many more cases going undetected. This article will give you an understanding of the current statistics on domestic abuse in Toronto.

The Current Statistics On Domestic Abuse in Toronto

Authorities conducted an investigation of 4,669 incidents of domestic violence and intimate partner abuse (IPA) in Toronto in 2020, a decrease from 5,031 in 2019. That decline is not unusual, according to Yvonne Harding of the Canadian Assaulted Women’s Helpline, an institution that provides help to women who are experiencing any type of violence in Ontario.

At the start of the pandemic, experts projected an increase in domestic violence as people were compelled to stay at home owing to the outbreak. Harding stated that her group experienced an increase in the number of people that called their free hotline for support. Their counselors handled over 70,000 calls regarding domestic abuse between April 1 and December 31 of last year. Before the outbreak, they received around 50,000 each year.

“With the first lockout, we certainly observed an increase in calls,” she said. “There was a 400% spike in the number of people calling, particularly seeking refuge in the first three weeks.”

Shelter Movers, a non-profit group that provides free relocation assistance to women fleeing domestic violence, reported a significant and consistent surge in demand since the outbreak. Prior to the pandemic, the group moved about 20 families every month, but that figure has since climbed to a median of 30 households per month.

This past January, Shelter Movers crews aided 40 households in similar situations. They relocated 39 households in August. According to Marc Hull-Jacquin, Shelter Movers’ founder, the lockdown and the pandemic’s consequences have disproportionately impacted survivors enduring abuse. He claims that social alienation and financial hardship “give abusers an advantage” by reducing victims’ alternatives for leaving.

According to Family Service Toronto, confinement circumstances have also led to incidences of domestic violence. There has been job loss, which has impacted the financial situation of many families. The stress caused by job loss or financial limitations has been shown to worsen conflict between couples.

According to the organization, many of those who have called describe an increase in their spouses’ controlling behavior, such as always attempting to figure out who they are speaking to on the phone — making it difficult to even call domestic violence therapists.

The organization recommends people who are imprisoned in abusive relationships to use events such as grocery store trips, internet orders, or strolling by a neighbor as a chance to ask for help and to spend time outside the home to learn about options available to them.

The Scope of Domestic Abuse in Canada

• Violence murdered 160 girls and women in 2020. This represents an alarming increase from the 118 girls and women slain by violence in 2019. (Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability, 2020)
• 64% of Canadians know a woman who has been subjected to emotional, sexual, or physical abuse (Canadian Women’s Foundation, 2021)

• Every six days in Canada, a woman is slain by her partner (Statistics Canada, 2019).

Conclusion

Some types of violence may be on the decline. Rates of police-reported domestic violence, for example, have declined over time, as have rates of most violent crimes in Canada (Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, 2015). Declines may be attributable in part to increasing equality and financial independence for women, which allows them to exit abusive situations earlier. It is also the result of years of efforts by anti-violence organizations. 

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